The Independent School was fortunate enough to have a guest speaker, SuEllen Fried, come to our school to speak to the Lower School students about bullying. She is a well known author on the topic and shared many important bits of information with our students. Here are some of the thoughts of the Trubyville 5th graders.

I learned that people who bully are having a sad life, and once they start they can't stop. Also the victims are so depressed that they commit suicide sometimes. There are 5 types of bullying. They are: physical, verbal, cyber, emotional, and gender. Bullying is a big thing in school because if you are caught bullying you could get in lots of trouble. It might come back to hurt you if you don't work it out with each other. If I saw someone getting bullied, I would would tell a teacher because they could stop it and no one would get hurt. Gannon=}

Today I learned to not to bad things to kids because it can turn them into a bully, and to not gang up on one kid because it makes them feel really small. Then they want to get back at you, so then it causes a huge mess and makes more bullies. Here are some kinds of bullying: gender, verbal, cyber, physical, and emotional. Never make fun of someone, and if you are getting bullied than tell an adult. Never be a bully and never laugh at someone if they're getting picked on. Tattling is trying to get someone in trouble and telling is trying to help someone. -Wiley:)

I learned that boys are more likely to be a bully by being up in your face. Girls are more likely to bully by gossiping. We didn't come up with "child abuse" until 1970. I learned that there are many kinds of bulling like cyber-bulling, gender, verbal, physical, and emotional. Bullies are not just big and strong, but they are troubled in many ways. Their family might be having troubles or if other people are bulling them, then they would want to take their anger out on other people. If I saw bullying happen, then I would go see if I could help. If it looked too dangerous, then I would leave immediately so I wouldn't get involved or get hurt. :) Colin

I learned that girls gossip more and boys physical bully more. I will think twice about what I'm going to say because it may be hurtful. I have been hurt before, so I don't want to do it to someone else. I think verbal abuse is the worst. Physical bullying is bad too. I am glad that our school does not have a lot of bullying. I think that everyone has done some sort of bullying. I am not trying to make anyone feel bad. Sometimes someone can bully, but it doesn't hurt. If you get bullied, tell a teacher or parent. Also don't start rumors. I think that rumors hurt the most. If I was being bullied, I would get a group and challenge the bully or tell a teacher. If I were part of a group of girls and they started to gossip, I would try not to gossip with them by picturing myself in their shoes. Emma :]

I've learned that it feels good to apologize to your friends when everyone is around you and that person. When you say its a boys game, its really not. You can let anyone, anything, and everybody play what they want. It's good to share your feelings with someone you trust. It's good to share your conversation to apologize. If you have a weapon, than it's not good. I also learned that if your in third grade and you have 300 people in third grade their names are listed, and you check the ones that are bullies, than you put them in a cabinet. Then ten years later, you do it again and see the ones in third grade. There are the same ones again. That is not good.

If I was in a big group of girls and they were gossiping, I would tell them to stop, walk away, tell a teacher or an adult. I would never ever be part of that group. That happened at a party I went to, and I went to tell an adult. The problem was solved. They went into a room and solved it. If you are bullied a lot then you become a bully. It just makes everything worse. DON'T BE A BULLY!!!! Drue:)


Today we had a lady come to our school, and she talked to us about bullying. I learned that girls and boys bully each other differently. Boys tend to be physical and girls tend to gossip and spread rumors. It was a talk that everybody thought about and needed because we don't know how much damage we can do to people's lives if it is physical or even verbal. I think everyone is going to think about what they say or do from now on. She told us stories about how people even told the truth but hurt someone's feelings, and I thought that it was a good thing that she told that story. I think everyone learned something from her today, especially me. ~Rachel :~}

Today I learned that most of the time a bully bullies because he/she feels like everyone is against them. In the past, I have gotten picked on, and I have discovered that sometimes they just want a friend. If you have ever done something that you don't feel good about then try to apologize. It is hard to, but it's the right thing to do. It is OK to tell them the way you feel. If you want to ask your parents if you can go to counseling, it's OK. I go to one. Try to be the strong one. If you see someone getting harmed in any harmful way, do something.Thoren
:>

Today the whole school had a talk about bullying. I learned that there are people that get so mad at who is bulling them that they hurt themselves and other people beyond belief. I think that it is starting to go way overboard across the country. I don't think people should get picked on just because they might be weird to the other person. I think all people should be treated the same way.

Do you know that there are so many people that aren't going to school because they are being bullied? Did you know that there are so many ways that people bully other people? Have you ever thought of how many people die or don't go to school because they are afraid of going to school again just because they are depressed or can't stand it because no one will help stop the bullier?

If you are reading this page, please take some time to think about it and pretend you were in somebody else's shoes. If you know anybody that is being bullied, please write them a note or something to make them know somebody cares for them. Trust me, it would make them a whole lot better. Also, if you have a friend that talks to girls a lot, don't make fun of them because someday you could be in his shoes and everybody could be laughing at you. I have been bullied before, and I told a adult that I was being bullied. My mom told my teacher, and I had a big relief because whoever it was stopped. DYLAN=}


You should tell the teacher if you are a witness to someone being bullied, even if you are afraid of being hurt by the bully. The teacher will not tell the bully who told them the information. There are 5 types of bullying: physical (punching, hitting, and kicking), verbal (spreading rumors, cursing, and gossiping), cyber (prank calling, blackmailing, and e-mail), emotional (mimicking), and gender (saying that a girl can't play because it is a boys' game). If I was in a group that thought it would be fun to pick on someone because they wore different clothes, I would tell the teacher before the person's feelings got hurt. By: Andrew ¦•)
I learned that sometimes bullies are actually bullied at home. Another thing is that most people that have shot their friends at school were being bullied. I also learned that there are 5 different types of bullies: physical, gender, emotion, cyber, and verbal. If I saw someone being bullied, I would probably tell them next time the bully says something mean or hits to walk away.if I was being bullied I would probably get a group to challenge the bully because that way he will know next time he picks on me he'll be in trouble. G.T. :)


I learned that if you tell a parent that somebody is bullying, it can be very risky because the bully could come back and hurt you. I don't think it is risky because that parent will do something about it. I also learned that if you have been bullied then you may become a bully because it has hurt you. I also learned that if you become a bully you may become a criminal, but not always. I also learned that if you give a bully power, than the bully will become even stronger. I also learned that a girl gossips and spread rumors and boys do physical bullying. If I saw somebody being bullied than I would tell an adult right away because if nobody would tell an adult the problem would just become worse. Olivia =]


I learned that bullying isn't just picking on people, but that it can lead to death. It isn't always hurting people on the inside and out,but it can hurt other people in the process.The other things I have learned are that cyber-bullying can not only happen on the computer,but on the cell phone and that it takes courage to apologize. We took a vote for what we think is true and most of what girls bully girls is about is their appearance.I have learned that it takes time for the bully's damage to your heart to mend.

My opinion is that bullying needs to stop! I can't stand how it seems to grow every year across the country. If a person was to come up to me and ask me for advice I would tell them to tell a parent or teacher. If a bully asked me, I would ask them to apologize to the person they hurt.If I saw someone bullying someone, I would run to the nearest adult and tell them.I have been bullied before, and I told the teacher.What I would have done things differently now. I would not have responded to his or her.CAMI :)


We had Mrs. Fried come and talk to us about bullying . It was very useful. What I learned was to not judge them for who they are, but by a warm heart . I learned a lot about the bulling subject. I thought it was useful for her to come and talk to use about bullying. Now I know what to do if someone is having problems or being bulled. The topics of bullying are: physical, gender, emotional, cyber, and verbal. If I saw some one get bullied, I would tell them I'm there for them and to say stay very strong. It felt good to apologize to a friend that we have been going back and forth. Riley =>

I learned that cyber bullying can be on an electronic device (computer, cellphone, pagers, etc.) and to cuss at other people, to say something mean about somebody, etc. I think that, as a witness, you should either challenge the bully, or get a group to challenge the bully. If I was bullied, I would challenge the bully, or do something physical so the bully will stop bullying me. If I was the witness, I would either tell an adult or get a group to challenge thebully. I think you should challenge the bully because if you stop them they will
usually stay away from you. Alec
:}